An album that in some people's eyes succumbed to the sophomore slump. However, I believe that in more ways than one it brought a musicality to the table that debut album Telefone wasn't quite able to achieve. This has received a mixed bag of critique from fans and critics alike and I myself have gone back and forth in my mind about how I feel. All of that aside, in at number 19 is Room 25 from the amazing, Noname.
Since her debut album Telefone in my love for Noname has continued to grow, so much so that I recently decided that I may have been wrong in not giving it a Top 10 spot in my Albums of the Year list in 2016. The nostalgia and upbeat, melancholic reflection on that album was literally like lightning caught in a bottle. The more that I listened to it, the more I just wanted to hear more. When Noname announced that she'd be releasing Room 25 I was over the moon. Partly because I couldn't wait to hear some more witty and interesting lyrics, but mainly because I wanted an album to get me through the winter months and to open my eyes to things about myself that even I hadn't yet realised. In hindsight this was an incredibly unreasonable expectation for any album to reach. As you can imagine, after first listen I was disappointed.
I had a few stand-out tracks to begin with that I returned to often, however as a whole I knew that I wanted something different. It took me a couple of months to let this go and listen back to the album in full again. Listening to it with more of an open mind also opened my ears to the key things that I'd missed initially. The musicality first and foremost on this album is fantastic. Noname opting for a slightly more jazz-heavy, instrument based album here rather than her previous lo-fi beat flex has come at the perfect time where mainstream jazz is re-inventing itself in a beautiful way.
My favourites at the moment are "Self", "Blaxploitation", "Montego Bae (feat. Ravyn Lenae)", "Ace (feat. Smino & Saba)" and "Part Of Me (feat. Phoelix & Benjamin Earl Turner)". Most of these are the singles that I revisited initially however "Part Of Me" only really struck a chord with me on the second listen. Lyrically this album is just as sensational and entertaining as Telefone and I have to applaud Noname on taking a step in a different direction and doing so confidently and without remorse. This album was very intentional and directed, and I can happily say now that I love every minute of it.
Here's a look at the album that took the number 19 slot in 2017.
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